How do I sell my shed business?

A buyer of a shed business is buying a way of taking orders, building and delivering, plus the name customers trust. Most of that lives in your head and your shop. Selling well starts with getting it onto paper, so that a stranger can see what the business owes, what it owns and how the work gets done.

Pick the time with the season in mind

Sales in this field usually rise and fall through the year. A buyer who looks at the business in its quiet months sees a thin order book. Ask your accountant when timing a sale makes sense, including how it fits the busy period. Talk to your accountant about timing.

Document orders, deposits and designs

Make a clear list of open orders, deposits held, build status and delivery dates. Gather your plans, drawings and price lists, and note which are your own and which come from someone else. If a buyer takes over customer deposits, the paperwork should say so plainly.

Lot, equipment and relationships

Collect the lease for the display lot or yard, and read it for any clause about a change of tenant. List the trailers and tools, with records of their upkeep. Write down your supplier accounts, any dealer or referral partners and how each would feel about a new owner.

Make the business less about you

• Train a lead builder and a person who handles customer calls.
• Introduce the buyer to key customers and suppliers in stages.
• Write down how an order moves from quote to delivery.
• Offer to stay on for a handover if the buyer wants it.

The same preparation applies to other one-owner businesses, as discussed in how to sell a home-based business.